VIOLIN player Pieter Schoeman, who matriculated at Hoërskool Stellenbosch, was recently appointed leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Schoeman made his solo debut with the Cape? Town Symphony Orchestra at the age of 10.
In 1987 he was offered the Heifetz Chair of Music scholarship to study with Edouard Schmieder in Los Angeles.
His talent was spotted in 1991 by Pinchas Zukerman, who advised Schoeman to move to New York to study with Sylvia Rosenberg.
He became her teach?ing assistant at In?diana University, Bloomington in 1994.
Schoeman has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout the world.
As a chamber musician, he regularly performs at London?s Wigmore Hall.
In his role as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, he has performed Arvo Pärt's Double Concerto, as well as Benjamin Britten?s Double Concerto.
Most recently he played? concertos with the Wiener Concertverein and Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice where, in 1995, he became the orcherstra's co-leader.
During his tenure there, he performed frequently as guest leader with the symphony orchestras of Barcelona, Bordeaux, Lyon and Baltimore.
A regular guest of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London, Schoeman returned in October 2006 to lead that orchestra on a three week tour of Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. He has also recorded violin solos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Chandos, Opera Rara, Naxos, the BBC and for USA films and television.